When One Door Closes, Another Opens
by Snow Shadow 17
Summary: 14 year old Esmeralda is a mutant with the ability to control light. Her father, Senator Kelly, finds out about her mutancy, he wants nothing to do with her anymore and therefore kicks her out of the house. When Scott picks her up, she starts a new beginning at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. But what does Magneto want with her?
1. 1: Banished

Esmeralda Kelly moved a pencil to the answer to what she hoped was the word problem on quadratics and put a box around the answer. She smiled lightly, satisfied with the answer and tucked a loose strand of platinum colored hair behind her ears. It used to be a deep blonde but ever since her fourteenth birthday, it has slowly turned a lighter shade each passing day until it was nearly white. Flipping the page over, her smile faltered into a slight frown. Another word problem, except this one looked exceptionally difficult.

The fourteen year old girl sighed then gave a quick glance at a clock resting on one of her drawers. Glaring red numbers proclaimed 5:07 pm. Deciding to take a break from her Algebra 2 study guide, she placed her mechanical pencil down and put the study guide aside. Reaching over to the right, she grabbed a laptop and set it right in front of her.

"Es, you little bitch! How many times have I told you not go into my room?"

An angry voice sounded from outside the girl's door. She shook her head and proceeded to log onto the computer, pulling up a biology paper which was due tomorrow. The assignment was to type up a minimum two page report on how mitosis is related to cancer and what various environmental factors could cause cancer. She was almost finished with it, having typed up one and a half pages.

Out of nowhere, a crashing noise resounded from the hallway which she could make out as a door crashing into the dry wall. Esmeralda was very sure that the action would leave a mark on the poor wall. Angry stomps echoed towards her room quickly followed by a loud rapping.

_Not again._

"Es! Open up! Why is it locked? I know you I took my nail polish!" Her eighteen year old sister screamed at her from behind the door. When the girl didn't reply, she rattled and pounded at the door louder.

_Why does she always automatically assume that I steal her stuff whenever she couldn't find them?_ Esmeralda thought as she rolled her eyes.

"I will give you to the count of three to open this door, young lady or I'll call Dad. One, tw-" Rebecca cautioned. The young girl scrambled off the seat and flung open the door, making it bang against the wall.

"Yes?" Esmeralda blinked, playing with the folds on her shirt. She was getting tired of thissenseless routine that seemed to happen almost everyday just wanted to finish her work, peacefully. Unfortunately, once her sister got mad, the racket usually continued for another three hours.

"What have you done with my nail polish?" Rebecca hissed and glared coldly at her younger sister. Esmeralda resisted the urge to roll her eyes and sighed instead.

"I didn't steal any of your things. I know better than to go into your room. Why do you always assume that I steal your stuff whenever they're missing?" The fourteen year old asked, running a hand through her messy hair.

"You liar! Give it back to me right now!" The young adult screeched and gave her sister a glare that was as sharp as a knife. The older woman three out a hand, demanding the stolen item returned,

"I'm not lying! Maybe you should try searching in your room before blaming me every single time!" Esmeralda had finally lost it and yelled at the top of her lungs.

"Fine! If you won't give me back my nail polish then I'll take something of yours!" Rebecca sneered and roughly shoved her sister backwards, knocking the girl onto the floor. She stomped over to her desk, snatching the laptop off the table and hurriedly moved back to her own room before Esmeralda could recover.

The girl heard a lock click and panicked. Her project was due tomorrow and if she didn't get it done today she would get an F. Projects were worth 30% of the grade and would certainly drag her grade down to a B or lower if she got an incomplete on it. The biology honors teacher was very stern and made no exceptions to late work no matter what the reason. It wasn't that she didn't like B's but rather she was strict on herself and didn't allow anything below an A. Esmeralda gulped and ran towards her sister's room.

"Rebecca! Open this door! Please! I have to finish my project! I can't get an F!" She shrieked in desperation. When that didn't work, she started banging and kicking at the door.

Rebecca smiled inside her room. _That will teach her not to mess with my things._ The older sister thought, really content of herself. Her gaze settled on the laptop she had taken from her sister. Picking it up and placing it on her lap, Rebecca sat against the foot of her bed. Her smile grew as she highlighted all of the written text on the opened document and pressed delete then proceeded to save the document.

"What is going on up here?" A deep muffled voice came from outside the door. Rebecca quickly dumped the laptop beside her and jerked the door open. A yelp came from her sister's throat as she fell forwards. She must have been leaning on the door a little too much. Rebecca gave her a smirk and she sauntered to the hallway.

"She stole my nail polish!" Rebecca sneered and thrusted an accusing finger at her sister. Esmeralda scrambled into the hallway to explain herself.

"No, I didn't! I didn't steal your stupid nail polish. I don't even paint my nails! The-"

"That's enough! Esmeralda, go to your room," Senator Kelly ordered, catching the attention of both sisters.

"But Rebe-"

"I don't want to hear your excuses. Go to your room, now!" He said, as calmly as possible. Esmeralda shot her father a fierce glare before stamping to her room and flinging the door shut with as much force as possible. She gave a cry and kicked at the door as hard as she can muster until bruises started forming on her feet.

"Why does it always have to be me? It's not fair!" Then she started stomping loudly on the floor. Childish as it may be, each sound her feet made comforted her in a strange way.

The girl picked up the math book and slammed it into the ground. It hit the ground with a satisfying tempo that fueled her anger. She proceeded to snatch a water bottle and threw it towards the ground. It bounced harmlessly off the floor and into a messy pile of clothes. Her hand moved to grab the clock off the shelve and she held it above her head.

"I hate him! I hate him so much!", she continued to yell in her mind in a heartfull atempt to get the frustration out of her system.

At that moment, for a second her body prickled. Nevertheless, she shrugged it off being too angry to care about anything at the moment, and hurled the poor clock to the ground. A part of it smashed off.

"Esmeralda Abby-Rae Kelly!"

An authoritative voice that promised consequences startled Esmeralda. Her father whipped the door open and strode in with angry steps.

"What is all this racket about? Do you not know I am trying to have a decent conference downstairs?" he snapped.

Not being able to hold her anger in any longer and fueled by the hurting acusations, the girl turned around, demanding answers. "Why? Why do I always have to take the blame? Why do I always get punished? Why can't Rebecca get punished for once? Why do you always believe every lie she says?" The girl screamed at him, putting every ounce of anger into it. She balled her hands into fists and tears welled up in her eyes. Senator Kelly moved towards her in order to comfort her.

"Get out of my room! I hate you! I HATE YOU!" Esmeralda tried to holler but her voice broke into sobs. Tears flowed down her cheeks and onto the floor. Another weird tingle developed in her body except this time it was stronger.

"Dad! I can't concentrate! Can you guys, I don't know, shut up?" Rebecca screeched from her room.

However, he didn't care about that at the moment, or better said, all the anger in Senator Kelly dissipated as his eyes widened in fear. Something was wrong with his daughter. She flickered in and out like a lightbulb gone haywire. An unnatural pale silver outlined her form but then that too, faded away. As realization started to swipe in as he backed away slowly from the angry and crying mutant.

"You're... one of them," he barely whispered as his eyes never left any movements his daughter... mutant daughter made.

As Esmeralda only heard the first part of the sentence, she innocently thought he had whispered 'You're grounded', so she continued her revolt.

"So, what? I don't care if I'm grounded!" Esmeralda shouted, stomping her feet in great anger and slamming her hand on the drawers beside her but the movement escaped her father's eyes and only the sounds were heard; she was invisible.

At the same moment, the girl finally got a chance to glance at her hand except... it wasn't there! She moved her right hand across the polished wood and grabbed it with her left hand to confirm the tactile sensation. To her surprise, she felt the wood and felt her arm too. It was there! And at the same time... it wasn't. She had become invisible... and there was only one explanation as to why or better said how...

As the shocking truth descended on her mind, she looked at her father and mouthed a pleading 'I didn't mean to' while shaking her head but, of course, he didn't see it and also, her plead felt on deaf ears.

However, what came next struck her like thunder.

"Get out of my house you mutant freak!" her father yelled out of fear. "No wonder why you have always supported those mutants!" He added as he turned and headed out the door. As an avid anti-mutant militant, Esmeralda was no longer his daughter. She wasn't even just a girl, but only a mutant: a freak of nature, a monster.

As for Esmeralda, his harsh words cut her soul like a dagger and she flinched incredulous. Fresh tears replaced the ones that had dried on her cheeks and they came faster and faster. She ran towards her departing father.

"What... Dad, no, help me, I didn't mean to! Please!" she yelled, scared and pleading for help.

"Get out, you hear me? Get out!" her father continued to yell as he headed towards the main hall. His daughter followed him, trying hard to change his mind.

"Dad, please! I'm your daughter! I won't do it again! Please! Let me stay!" She cried after him in desperation. Esmeralda's hand brushed against his and he jerked his hand away. Pure fear shone in his eyes and he gave her a look of disgust, looking in the dirrection he thought she was as the girl was still invisible.

"I said get out! You are no daughter of mine, mutant!" He reinforced this by snatching Esmeralda's US history textbook and hurling it to the ground. The girl's figure started fading back into sight near the door frame as she jumped out of the way of the textbook. Her father didn't miss the chance to grab her by the sleeve and began dragging her towards the door.

"Dad! I'll do anything! I won't do it anymore! Please, let me stay!" Esmeralda wailed hoping she could change his mind at the very last second. The front door came into view and she thrashed and flailed, trying to break free of his seemingly iron-like grip on her sleeve.

"There is no place for you here anymore." With ice-cold voice, the senator thrusted the door wide open and dragged her across the courtyard. He shoved the sobbing mutant out of the gate and quickly slipped inside.

Esmeralda stumbled and almost face planted into the sidewalk but managed to stop herself by grabbing one of the gate's poles. Not being able to look behind and face the closed gates and also, the rejection of her own father, she drew her knees to her chest and sat down on the cold cement, breaking down into loud sobs. The tears created never ending trails for what seemed like an eternity. Her mind replayed the senator's... her father's cruel words over and over again and this added to her urge to cry.

_Why?_

_Why me?_

**AN: Love it? Hate it? Please review!**


	2. 2: Wandering

The chilly late October air grew colder by the minute as the sun began to dip below the horizon turning the sky into a dark haze. The chirping of crickets could already be heard and people were driving or probably got home by now. It was, around this time, that Esmeralda had finally stopped crying. She was reduced to sniffs and hiccups now and she brought a hand up to wipe her eyes.

The only clothing that kept her warm was the T-Shirt the girl wore at home and soon she found herself shivering. The thin jeans didn't really help in keeping in body heat either. She pulled her knees closer to her chest and rubbed at her arms to help conserve heat. This only helped a bit and Esmeralda wished she had a thought to put on a jacket before the fight about stupid nail polish erupted. However, who could've thought the fight will lead to her being kicked out of the door...

Esmeralda brought her head down and stared at her body. It appeared normal and average now, the guilty in and out of sight flickering gone. What had happened exactly? She remembered the days when she had to stand in front of the entire class and give an oral report. Back then, she wished deeply that she would just disappear, so all those pairs or eyes wouldn't be staring at her anymore. It's like that wish came true now of all times. Most of the girls loved attention but she hated it.

But those girls were normal, weren't they?

Every time the TV caught some mutant activity, Esmeralda secretly admired them for their unique abilities although her father would mumble about how dangerous mutants were and why the Mutant Registration Act should be passes quickly. She didn't dare tell her father she supported mutants but he found out eventually and he threw a fit.

A soft growl jolted the girl back to the predicament she was in. She scrambled up and quickly glanced around for any dogs or another animal that might have made that growling sound. There was none. When the growl came again, she realized it was her stomach. Without a doubt she was hungry. Only then did she realize how thirsty she actually was. Her throat felt dry and was nearly parched. The girl swallowed some saliva to rehydrate her throat but it only helped that much.

The sun had completely disappeared, leaving the sky a midnight black. Wisps of gray clouds hovered and the stars were scattered above. Esmeralda loved nighttime but hated the darkness it always brought. Her fear of the dark had stuck with her until now and if not for the street lights and the moon, she would be in complete panic mode right then and there.

She loved places where there was plenty of light. When her sister was being too bothersome, she would gather her homework and lay outside, but only when the sun was out. Countless times, she found herself drifting off to sleep because of the warm and soothing sunlight. It was like a love-hate relationship with the night, really.

The girl paused after passing a block and leaned against a wooden fence. She slipped a hand into her right pocket and felt around for some money. Esmeralda sighed in relief as her hand brushed against the soft leather like paper and took it out. It was the left over forty dollar bill from the shopping spree she had with her best friend, Tara, last weekend. Esmeralda's eyes blurred as she realized she would never see her best friend again. She had met Tara when she was only seven. The pair had shared so many memories, both happy and sad, together.

_Esmeralda had met Tara at the ice rink. She remembered falling repeatedly on an axel jump that she just can't seem to get. She had started sobbing on the ice after what seemed like the thousand time she had attempted the jump muttering 'I'll never get it' and 'I hate this jump so much'._

_"Hey, are you okay?" The teen turned her head to the source of the voice and found a brunette smiling kindly at her. She nodded and sucked in a ragged breath, hoping the brunette would go away and leave her alone. Esmeralda hated it when others saw her cry and was afraid they would think she was a cry baby. She moved to get up when the brunette laid a hand on her shoulder._

_"Hey, it's ok. Crying's ok. I cry all the time. Everyone cries," the brunette soothed, sending her an encouraging smile. Esmeralda wiped at her eyes and nodded again. She pushed herself off the ground and stood up, awkwardly staring at the brunette and thumbing her black jacket. She started to skate towards the exit when the brunette once again stopped her._

_"Want to get some hot chocolate? I'll pay," the brunette added. Hot chocolate? No, it would be rude. She had just met this girl and sure she was kind enough to comfort her when she was crying but she didn't know her, Esmeralda decided._

_"No, I'll be fine," Esmeralda managed to croak out. She turned and continued gliding to the exit._

_"By the way, my name's Tara and you're amazing on the ice. You spin and jump so naturally. Well, I have to go. I hope I'll see you again," Tara finished. She turned and skated to the exit._

_The teen simply stood there, stunned and utterly confused. Someone thought she was amazing? Did she really jump and spin naturally? If she was truly amazing at skating then why was her private coach always yelling at her and screaming at her to fix things after things? Perhaps he was jealous that the girl skated so well. _

_Esmeralda turned and fixed her gaze on the cold hard ice. She was going to try her axel and succeed this time. The teen skated forward, each stroke adding twice as much speed to her gliding. She completed a three turn and started skating backward crossovers. Then, when she thought she had enough speed, she glided into a backwards mohawk and prepared to jump. _

_The jump seemed to take forever although it could be accomplished in a second or two. The brunette's words played again and again in her mind, giving her a new set of determination and courage. She held her legs in the landing position after she had completed one rotation and…glided back._

Esmeralda blinked her tears away and stared into the black night sky for a moment then continued strolling to a small bakery she knew that wasn't too far from her house. The teenager had gone to this eatery numerous times with and without Tara.

She came to a stop outside of the bakery. It was a quaint little place with a bold sign that proclaimed Elaina's Eatery in white glowing letters. A couple was seated at one of the tables enjoying their cups of coffee and chatting over random things. The owner of the eatery was no where to be found. Esmerlda took in a deep breath before stepping up to the door. The alarm chimed, letting the staff know a new customer had come into their bakery.

Elaina stepped out of the kitchen. The smiling woman had on a sky blue shirt with a dirty apron on top and her legs were clad in jeans. Elaina was a gentle hearted woman who served everyone, humans and mutants alike, the same way. The teen walked up to her and gave a little wave while studying the pastries behind the glass panel.

"Emmy! What are you doing out here this late? Don't you have school tomorrow?" Elaina asked, curiosity etched in her face.

Esmeralda bit her lip to keep from telling her everything and resisted the urge to burst into tears. She turned away for a second and wiped away the tears that were already welling up in her eyes. She deeply desired to tell the adult her entire situation but she was afraid Elaina would report her to someone or call the police. Elaina might be serving everyone equally but that wasn't enough to make the girl pour her heart out in front of an almost-stranger. Now that Esmeralda was a new found mutant, she would have to be extra precautionary with everyone, including her friends. The girl swallowed before answering the question.

"Oh, uh, I'm just taking a walk. My sister won't leave me alone so I decided to sneak out and take a break. I'll be getting back, soon," Esmeralda replied with a nervous smile.

Elaina sighed inwardly. She felt something was wrong but Esmeralda just won't admit it. Usually, the girl would bound into her eatery, energetic and full of light, but this time she just seemed dull and worn down. The adult knew high school was hard on the students but could it possibly be this hard? Even when the teen was stressed out there would always be an indescribable light in her eyes. This time though, there was none. Basically, she seemed hollow.

"Ok then. What may I get you?" Elaina asked and gave the girl a warm smile.

"A pumpkin muffin and a cup of green tea would be nice," Esmeralda answered and gave her friend another timid smile then payed for the food and drink. She stared down at the counter top and absentmindedly drummed her fingernail on it softly then headed to one of the tables. Sighing, the teen plopped down on the chair and rested her hands beneath the table on her lap.

She had no idea where to go next nor did she know what to do. Esmeralda would have immediately applied for a job but she was two years short of the appropriate age. She didn't have enough money to book a motel room for the night much less buy an apartment. The teen'a face suddenly lit up; she could stay at her friend's house for the night. She bit her lip as she realized she had to come up with some sort of lie. There was never a reason to lie to Tara because Esmeralda trusted her with her life but was it enough to tell her friend she was a mutant?

Tara's house was barely walking distance from Esmeralda's own house but it was still manageable. It would take at least an hour of walking to get there and the teen thought she should start soon.

"Hey, earth to Emmy. Your food is here," Elaina told Esmeralda, waving her hands in front of the girl's face. Elaina's sudden words startled the teen and panic began to creep into her as she felt a familiar tingle in her body. _Oh no no no. Not again, please, no._

She slowly brought her head down to stare at her body then snapped her head up to look at the adult next to her. It was going invisible again. Panic crept into the girl and she squeezed the table. She simply sat there, as if frozen in time.

Elaina brought her hand up to her mouth and her eyes widened in surprise. She wanted to tell the girl it was ok and everything's going to be fine but her mouth stubbornly hung agape. Esmeralda must have took this wrong because she screeched the chair back and ran from the bakery.

The teen kept running, not caring if she bumped into people in her invisible form. Tears sprang to her eyes again and she stared at the ground. She had lost her last friend.


	3. 3: Found

"Class dismissed," Professor Charles Xavier announced. His students left in a flurry, hurrying to pack up their books. They were eager to get out of class and hang out with their friends as this was their last class for the day. After the last student, Kitty, left, the professor moved his wheelchair from behind the desk and out the door. It was time to find another mutant.

He turned a corner then another until an elevator appeared. It automatically opened its doors, revealing its white interior, when it detected something moving towards it. The professor wheeled in and pressed a button to go down to the bottom most floor. The elevator's white doors slid open after a few seconds and he whirred his wheelchair outward heading for a room.

The professor stopped a couple yards in front of a metal door with a giant x imprinted on it. A pale blue light shone out from the middle and the beam scanned his retina. He blinked twice when the scan was complete. The door clicked and whirred around, finally opening up to reveal Cerebro.

"Welcome, Professor," a smooth female mechanical voice said indifferently. Pale blue lights on each side lit up the pathway as the professor wheeled in. He stopped right in front of the machine and picked it up, putting it on his head. A few seconds after, the silver walls melted away and a large map took its place with white lights dotting the surface. They were replaced by ruby red lights.

The red lights represented mutants and the professor could see what they were doing with Cerebro. Through it, his mind was connected to each one of them and he could read their emotions and thoughts. He zoomed in on a mutant who emanated the most fear, panic and uncertainty. This mutant was a girl and she seem to be walking aimlessly down the streets, heading towards an unknown destination.

Her form vanished and faded back occasionally and the girl had her hands stuffed in jean pockets with her head down. The professor zoomed in closer so her face could be seen clearly through the machine. The girl's face, he had seen it before. His eyebrows furrowed in deep thought as he tried to place her, searching his memories.

That's it! But it couldn't be. The girl was Senator Kelly's daughter, Esmeralda Kelly. He had seen her several times on the television, attending meetings with her father and older sister. The Senator must have threw a fit, he guessed. She was the mutant they were going to pick up.

The metallic walls slowly assembled themselves, taking the place of the scene around him. Professor Xavier smiled lightly and he brought his hands up to lift the silver machine off his head.

He closed his eyes again to send a telepathic message. /_Scott, meet me in my office. You're going to pick up another mutant./_

He wheeled out of the room and the door closed behind him.

Esmeralda continued walking to her friend's house, shivering from the bitter wind. _Elaina probably hates me now._

She recalled the shock plastered on both of the adult's face when she suddenly vanished before them. The girl crossed her fingers and deeply hoped her last friend wouldn't find out she was a mutant. If Tara ever found out, she hoped her friend will accept her for who she is. She was afraid she would reject her too or even worse, call the police.

Esmeralda stuffed her hands in her pockets to help keep them warm and gazed upwards, stopping momentarily. It was past midnight and the pale moon gave little light. She could make out the outline of wispy clouds.

Her feet ached and she felt like she had been figure skating for seven hours. The teen craned her neck around and stole a glance behind. Someone seemed to be following her. She couldn't tell if said someone was a man or woman but that someone seemed to be the same person she saw fifteen minutes ago.

Esmeralda squinted, now fully facing the person. He appeared to be a man but she wasn't so sure in the darkness. _Is he a pervert? Why is he following me? Does he know? Is he the police? Oh no..._

The girl began to take a brisk walk down the sidewalk to avoid arousing any suspicions in case he was there to arrest her. Once in a while, she quickly turned her head to peek if he was still following her. This continued for another minute, then five minutes. Esmeralda frowned, seeing he was determined to follow her. She started a light jog and then began picking up the pace. She veered completely off course of the direction to Tara's house as she turned left and right. Somehow, he was still following her and he was running too.

_He is the police!_

Esmeralda ran out of fear more than instinct. Her muscles started to protest all this instant exercise as she rarely ran and her legs ached twice as much as she started to pant. The girl pushed herself, trying to throw off the man. She knew she had to stop running so hard soon or else her asthma would act up.

In her haste, she tripped down the curb and her arms flailed for something to hold onto, banging her knees straight into the asphalt in the middle of the road. The teen's knees exploded into a sharp aching pain and she was sure they were a purple blue color now. She groaned in pain, clutching her injured knees close to her chest.

The sound of wailing sirens grew louder as a black car swerved crazily down the road. The owner of the car was obviously drunk and the police had chased him all over the streets. The area surrounding Esmeralda lit up and the car honked twice. Panic and fear crept into her as she stared into the blinding headlights.

She held up her hands to protect her face but she knew it would do little good. She squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the impact.

"Get out of there!" A manly voice came from her right.

Someone grabbed onto the girl and suddenly everything seemed to happened in slow motion. It was almost like teleporting; one moment she was about to be hit by the crazed car and the next she was next to a bench on the sidewalk. Esmeralda's head reeled and her stomach churned with nausea as she doubled up. She grabbed onto the bench to steady herself before glancing up. What the heck happened?

A man stood before her with his arms crossed, leaning against a tree. Silver hair covered his head and he wore a cocky smirk. A silver jacket hung on his shoulders with a black T-Shirt inside. His face was devoid of wrinkles despite his grey hair.

"What? No-thanks? Well-you-are-welcome," he began, his words a blur. The nausea in the teen's stomach faded down into nothing. She was still trying to figure out what happened and how she was not dead. She was downright puzzled and her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Wait...wha...what happened? I was there and then here. Ho-"

"I-happened," he interrupted, jerking a thumb towards himself. He was feeling quite proud of himself as he just saved a girl from certain death.

This confused Esmeralda more. How did he do this? Was he a mutant too? If he was, she wasn't sure whether to be relieved or afraid. It was very possible that he was one of those mutant terrorists. Or perhaps the government was using a mutant to catch more mutants. The girl snorted inwardly. That idea was ridiculous but it was a possibility.

"Are y-"

"Pietro Maximoff! I told you to remain at the mansion. Do not do this again."

She was cut off when the man who was following Esmeralda ran up to the silver haired man. The man named Pietro simply gave the other man a wider grin. Now that he was in front of her, the girl realized he wasn't the police. No, not even close. The man wore red sunglasses and a black leather suit with a X embroidered at the front.

"Why were you following me? I thought you were a pervert. Wait, are you?," Esmeralda asked suspiciously, eyes narrowing. She took a few steps back, preparing to run again if they tried to forcibly capture her.

"That's a good one! Scott...a pervert! But are you, Scott?" Pietro bursted into loud laughter, clutching his stomach. He nudged Scott's side with his elbows and slapped his hands on his legs until the other man gave him a harsh glare that told him to stop.

"Listen, I'm not here to hurt you but instead I'm here to help. My friend, Professor Xavier, detected you on Cerebro and he runs a school for people like us. Mutants," Scott explained.

Esmeralda released a breath she didn't know she was holding. Were they really mutants? Her eyes widened in awe and she gasped. But then, who or what is Cerebro?

"Are you guys really mutants? What can you do? What are your powers? And who's Cerebro?" The girl fired question after question. Finally, she got a chance to talk peaceably with a mutant without her father yelling at her to get away because 'they're dangerous'.

Scott instantly snorted and muttered something sarcastically, shaking his head. He couldn't believe what he just heard. She, of all people, is excited about mutants and their abilities? He thought she despised mutants just like her father and thought she was joking.

"I thought you hated mutants and I bet that if I showed you my powers, you would be fleeing down the streets," Scott stated matter-of-factly. The girl's face fell and she took a few steps back, staring at her feet. The tension in the air got awkward and she didn't like the fact that they were staring at her intently.

"I-I'm sorry. I-I thought that...," Esmeralda mumbled, trailing off. Her fingers fumbled with the hem of her shirt and she bit her lip. She hated it when other people judged her just because she was Senator Kelly's daughter. She didn't hate mutants; instead she admired their strange but fascinating abilities.

Scott, on the other hand, didn't think she was kidding around now and he started to feel guilty about accusing her.

"Look, it's alright," Scott's hand reached up to his head and it combed through his hair, "I shouldn't have said that. But, do you want to come with us? Of course, you don't have to if you don't want to. You always have a choice," Esmeralda thought about it for a moment. As of now, she had no home and if she ever made it to Tara's house, she wasn't so sure if she or her mother would accept a mutant. With that decision in mind, Esmeralda gave a small nod at him.

"Alright then, I'll drive my car around. You two, stay put," Scott pointed to the two of them and spun on his heels. Pietro faked a yawn at his retreating back and plopped down on a bench nearby. A minute passed and he mumbled things under his breath about how Scott needed to hurry up and the like. He stole a glance at the teen who now leaned against a tree and without thinking about her reaction, he speed "walked" to her bench.

Imaginably, she was surprised at how fast he moved. It was all but a silver blur to her and she guessed he had the ability of superhuman speed. He had to at least be able to run at the speed of sound if not faster. Was that what happened earlier?

"Want to get to the mansion first?" Pietro asked and shot a mischievous grin at her. Esmeralda didn't really like Scott and thought it would be very fun to experience running at the speed of sound. Finalizing her decision, she smiled softly and nodded.

Pietro flashed behind her and wrapped an arm around her torso.

"Wouldn't-want-to-get-whiplash," Pietro said although it was more to himself than the girl he was holding. He quickly but gently pressed a hand to the back of her neck and broke into a run. He traveled faster than the speed of sound and they reached the school in...

...a little more than 3.141592654 seconds.


	4. 4: Settling in

Esmeralda doubled up again right outside of the professor's mahogany doors when Pietro stopped running and he disappeared in the blink of an eye. She squeezed the metal handle in vain, trying to control the nausea that was settling in her stomach. It wasn't as bad as the other time but still, it wasn't pretty. Anyway, all this was worth the experience. When Pietro ran, time seemed to come to a slow drawl while he was actually running at a normal human pace. It was purely breathtaking, she thought.

The teen's hand traced the rectangular patterns engraved on the door. Her stomach's churning had almost completely died down by now and she was actually feeling quite hungry.

"Don't be afraid. Come in," a gentle and kind voice came from inside the room. Esmeralda hesitated before grasping the metallic handle. She slowly pulled it open and peeked inside. It was an office indeed, with book filled shelves lining the walls and a large wooden desk standing in front of a large window. Chairs surrounded the front of the desk in two rows.

The bald man behind the desk seemed kind and his face was laden with wrinkles. He gestured towards the chairs and the girl nervously stepped forward. She started to finger the hem of her shirt again and she stared at the mahogany desk as she sat down. Only when the man spoke did she look up.

"My name is Charles Xavier but you can call me Professor. I'm sure you have already met Pietro Maximoff and Scott Summers. Esmeralda, welcome to my school for gifted youngsters or mutants like yourself," the professor explained with a warm smile. She frowned when he called her by her full name. Usually, it's a warning that trouble is headed her way but the girl knew she wasn't in any trouble at all. The professor noticed this and he put on a worried face.

"Could you call me Rae instead? It's a part of my middle name. When I'm called my full name I become a little... tense, because that means trouble and I don't really like the nickname versions of my name either. My father and sister both call me Es just to piss me off and I have this friend who works at a cafeteria who calls me Emmie. I constantly remind her I don't like that name but she seems to have memory problems so I gave up a few months ago. Only my best friend calls me Rae," she corrected politely.

"Of course, Rae it is then," the professor noted. A small smile curled at Rae's lips.

"If you don't mind me asking this but what is your power?" Rae whispered then tensed up once her question was finished. She hoped he wouldn't judge her like Scott did. She absolutely hated it when people did that and she would immediately retreat into her shell after.

"I don't mind at all. I'm telepathic but I won't pry into your memories or private thoughts without your approval of course," he replied in the same welcoming tone he had used when he first spoke to her. A wider smile graced the girl's face and this time it reached her eyes.

"Really? Wow, that's so cool," Rae breathed. The professor inwardly chuckled at her saying. He realized the girl in front of him was not at all like her father but instead the opposite.

"I'm glad you think so. There are people who discriminate us for our abilities," he added.

_Like my father_, Rae thought and bit her lip. It hurt to think of her father and the fact that he kicked her out. It wasn't a valid reason, she thought. No true father would kick out his son or daughter because of the fact he or she turned out to be a mutant.

The teen thought of her special ability again. It was scientifically impossible to vanish like she did unless her body became totally transparent or no light hit her body at all. Perhaps she was actually able to make her body see through or bend photons around her body. Was this what she did earlier? Still, it was impossible to bend light unless huge amounts of gravity comes into play like a black hole or make a body see through.

"My power, invisibility, how does that work?" Rae asked, eager for an answer to a question that made absolutely no sense in her mind. Confusion swept across her face as she waited for the professor's answer and thankfully she didn't have to wait that long.

"I believe you just answered that question yourself. Your gift is controlling light," the professor answered sincerely, smiling whole heartedly. It took a while for his words to sink in but once they did the girl's mouth hung open and she blinked several times.

"Are you serious? Could I really do that?" She exclaimed, awestruck. The professor smiled again at her excitement. So far, he had never met a future student so happy with their gifts. Usually, they were afraid to use their abilities or even hate them.

"Yes, and I believe in time you will not only be able to bend light around objects including yourself but also condense light and perhaps even direct it," he concluded, leaning his body slightly forward. He sensed the girl's surprise grow and he let her ponder for a while before speaking up.

"Now, let's talk about your schooling schedule. I teach physics and ethics, Ms. Jean Grey teachers anatomy/biology and chemistry, Scott Summers teaches algebra 2 and trigonometry, and Ororo Munroe teaches US history and literature. Considering this is a high school and sincethere is a minimum of 5 classes, what would you like to take?" The professor informed.

Rae inwardly cringed when he said US history. She hated history to its core and would do anything to bypass that particular subject. Whether it was economics or modern world history, she did horrible in the subject and she would find it dragging her GPA down to a 3.6. Accidentally sleeping in class did not help at all either. She did not want that happening here too.

"I think I would like to take biology, chemistry, algebra 2, ethics, and literature," Rae replied softly. Suddenly, an urge to yawn cropped up in her and she stifled it as best as she could although her mouth still cracked open a little bit. The professor smiled at the girl as if he knew what was going on.

"Come meet me here, preferably in the late afternoon tomorrow, to pick up your class schedule. About our rooming system, we usually have two people share a room but since we not have an odd number of students, you will not be sharing a room until another mutant comes to the institute and I'd like you to meet Jean Grey. She will be showing you your room," the professor said and maneuvered his wheelchair around the desk.

As if on cue, a woman with fiery red hair stepped into the room. She looked like she had just been dragged out of her bed. Rae felt guilt claw at her heart as she realized she had involuntarily woken her up. What she guessed was Jean Grey softly smiled at her and motioned Rae to follow her.

"Follow me please," Jean called, swinging the door open just wide enough to let the two of them go through. Rae's gaze flickered to the professor and he motioned for her to follow the woman. The girl rose from the chair and fell into step with Jean.

Only now did she notice the building was actually a mansion. Hallways seemed to stretch forever and she guessed they turned to lead to another long hallway. Paintings with a golden metal frame adorned the mahogany walls and several tables were randomly placed against the walls with lamps. She had never been in any place like this before until now.

"How do you like this place so far?" The redhead began and led Rae through another hallway. Jean's question caught the teen slightly off guard. How did she like this place? She had to admit the professor's office seemed very welcoming and had a warm family feel to it. His office gave Rae a sense of security but maybe it was just the fact that there were no annoying family members poking around in her stuff talking.

"This place, it feels very welcoming. Well, at least more welcoming that the first impression of my house," Rae replied and the woman nodded in response then gave her another warm smile. She turned left and stopped shortly of the end of the hall. In front of the teen stood what she guessed to be her room. She peaked over Jean's shoulder to get a clearer view of the doorway. Brass made up the handle and the door was a deep wooden brown.

"Here we are, your room, number seventy seven," Jean chirped happily and opened the door. She proceeded to flick on the lights as she moved out of the doorway to allow Rae to enter. It was about twice size of her old room, give or take a few square feet. A bunk bed stood on the far right corner and next to it was a window engraved into the wall which gave a perfect view of the pond outside. On the left wall, were her drawers and a desk complete with a lamp and chair. At the far left corner there was another doorway leading to the bathroom.

"Wow, it's huge. Are you sure this is my room?" Rae pondered out loud, stepping forward to inspect her new bed. Pre made champagne colored sheets covered both beds and a fluffy white pillow rested at end. She whipped her head around and Jean nodded in response to her question.

"Would you like some pajamas for tonight? We could go shopping tomorrow for some clothes," the red head said, her tone soothing and sincere. Rae didn't want to bother anyone else's sleep and she thought her current clothes would do fine once she was under the covers.

"No no, it's alright. I'm good and I don't really have any money so I'm not so sure about going shopping tomorrow," the girl objected quickly, waving her hands. She only had about ten dollars left and that was hardly enough to buy a pair of jeans.

"Don't worry about the money. Just don't go on a crazy shopping spree. The professor will pay for everything. He's a rich man," Jean immediately clarified, walking up to Rae. She placed a hand on her shoulder in what she hoped to be a comforting gesture.

"Are you sure I can spend his money?" Rae asked critically, not really wanting to buy something at another person's expense. She bit her lip and glanced up at Jean's kind and calm face.

"Yes, I'm very sure. Now, get some rest. You've had a long night," Jean suggested, heading towards the door. Only now did Rae realized how exhausted she was. The door clicked shut and the woman had left her to her own thoughts. She decided to at least brush her teeth before hitting the sack and she walked over to the bathroom door. She pressed a hand onto the wood and it slowly clicked and opened. To her surprise, everything a person would need was right there, as if it was prepared for a guest in advance.

When her breath smelled minty and refreshing enough, she spun around. She made sure to leave a lamp turned on before walking towards her bed. After pausing to give a large yawn, she climbed up the bed's wooden frame and threw herself onto the bed. Instantly, her eyes seemed to have a mind of its own and she forced them to stay open until she snuggled under the soft cotton sheets.

Perhaps, this would be a new beginning.

* * *

><p>Author's note: Yay! Another chappie for you and look, it's New Years! Happy 2015! Don't worry, the suspense will start to build next chapter but sadly, the ch. 5 will not be posted until I'm finished with another story of mine, Shields of Synergy. And don't worry about that either, I'm already working on ch. 4. I will NOT abandon this story. If you like First Class, be on the lookout for Shields of Synergy. Oh! Yes and please review.<p>

And I just might be posting the first Chapter of Shields of Synergy today but who knows really? . .


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